Cotton-picker



(No ModeL) 43 Shee's--Sheey 1.

D. S. DEADERICK. 00TT0N PICKER.

No. 500,0 00. 1-"00011000A s815514, 1807.

14H00/VHS.`

1H: nofws vsn-.ns co, vamo-mwa, WASHINGTON. n. c,

(N0 Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. D. S. DEADERIOK.

. COTTON PICKER.

Patented Sept. 14,1897.

I'I I I I I I I I II|||| IIIIIlIIII-IIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I III T Ir.

IIIIIIIIII ATTORNEYS.

' (No Model.)

l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. D. S. DEA`DERICK.`

COTTON EIGKFR.v No. 590,090.

. 41 a. te1f1tf1 Sept. 14.1897.

UNITED 'SiArns PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID s. nnADnRiemor MAMMOTH SPRING, ARKANSAS.

y COTTON-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,090, dated September 14, 1897.

Application tiled June 18, 1896. .Serial No. 596,005. (No model.)

and cleanly manner, thereby effec-.tin g a very important economy in the labor required'tn harvesting a crop.

Another object of Lne invention is to provide a 'wheeledY frame adapted to be moved overa field and provided with picking devices preferably oi' the nature'of endless bands arranged to engage the *bells of `the cottonplants and remove the fiber therefrom, means for delivering the 'plants to the picking devices, and means forclcaning thecotton from said picking devices and 4delivering the said cotton to distributing devices, to be hereinafter particular] y described.

-The invention also contemplates certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangement of parts,wher,eby eertain advantages are obtained `and the device is made better adapted for use than other cotton-.pickers devised, the picking devices being made somewhat yielding-'in order to permit them to accommodate themselves to various positions ofthe plants, so as to work thoroughly and smoothly under variousconditions.

The invention consists in the novel con-4 struction and combination of the `several parts, as will'be hereinafter fully set forth,

and pointed ont in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification', in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side, elevation of the cotton picker or harvester constructed according to my invention, the side walls of the cotton receptacle or hopper and a portion of a groundwheel being broken away to betterillustrate certain features of construction. Fig.l 2 is' a rear elevation of the machine, showing the preferred arrangement of the picking devices. Fig. Bis an enlarged fragmentary deendless picker-cloths and the means forremoving the cotton therefrom. tail view, drawn to a small scale, and showing the forni of the spreaderadapted to be located' between opposing cotton-.gathering devices; and Fig. 45 is a plan view of the machine, parts being broken away.

' In carrying out the invention, A represents the frame of the machine, which may be of any forni, dimensions, and material deemed best suited for the purpose, and is provided with a` tongue or Aother'means of hitching draftanimals thereto, together with rear ex'- tensions A of the side bars of the frame.

Spindles 12 are secured to each side of the frame, upon '.which groundf wheels V13 are mounted. A-t the forward or at the rear ends of Athe frame A the said frame is provided -journaled in Vtheend portions of the respectivebrace-beams 15, andbetween the bracebeams 15 drums or rollersl arexed on the said shafts. Ata-the `rearends of the shafts 16 the upper; ends of 4'lllJOgQl'Sl5 below the t' rame A and have journaled' in their lower ends therear extremities of shafts 19, whereon are xeddrums or rollers 20 similar to the drums or rollers 17 on the shafts 16.

- The forward ends ofthe said shafts 19 are jou rnaled in hangers 22- of `less length than .the hangers 1S, the hangers 22 being secured at their upper ends to the forward portion of the frame A. preferably given a downward and inward in elin'ation, 'whereby their lower ends are made to: converge to a greater or less extent; but the distance is greater between the hangers of the forward .set than between the hangers of` the rear set.

The lower ends of the hangers 1S and 22 are made to extend down below the under tail View showing the means for driving vthe with vertical standards 14f,one at each side of Aeach end of the frame, the' said standards and at their oppositeen'ds these shafts are Both sets of hangers 18 and 22 are SafetSe1y--f mounted, and the said 'hangers' extend'down.

sides of Lilo respective rollers or driuns 20, and-the loxver ends of the hangers 1S and 22 carry shoes 21, fOrneCL of Sheet 'lnetal o1' other suitable material ben C, :1s clearly shown i11 l'ig, 2, to a curved foxxn in cross-section colresponcing' to ty'ho ctrl-ved periplleries of the said C11-u ns or rollorsffrom vvhioh they are' spaced slightly apart, and these shoes 21 foi-1n projecting housings for the lower portions of' renderedunt for use.

At their opposite ends the rollers 17 and`20 are provided with correspondingly formed sprocket-wheels 24, over whichchain-belts 25,

secured to the said c loths or aprons, are

passed, whereby the aprons or cloths are driven uniformly and positively. rlhe said chain-belts servev also to gear the upper and lower rollers together, so that the lower rollers 20 will loe-driven from the upper rollers 17.

In order to drive the said upper rollers, each shaftJ 16 is provided at one of its ends, usually its forward end, witha gear-wheel 26,

' having a beveledupper face 26, as shown particularly in Fig. 3, the beveled portion 26EL meshing with a similar and preferably'smaller gear-wheel 27, secured on a cross-shaft 28, journaled at its ends in brackets 142, the said brackets being secured-it() the forward standard's 14. The said shaft 28 is provided at one end with a large chain-Wheel 31, located on the hub or spokes of one of the groundwheels 13.

The picker-cloths 28 will be formed Ioy preference of coarse cardng-cloth-such, for example, as is known as licher-in cloth--the projections upon thel upper sttch pointing upward, vand in the movement off-the said cloths the cards thereon engage with and re' move the cotton from the bolls and retain the' same, and in order to remove the cotton thus retained by the said picker-cloths 23 I pro- "vide rotating combs or brushes, one'for eaclr y with pinions 33, meshing with the gears 26 on cotton from the picker cloths or aprons.

the upper rollers, carrying the picker-cloths, Aas shown in Fig. The shafts 32. extend parallel to the shafts 16, and on the said shaft v32 rollers or drums 35 are secured., each hav-I Below each of the rollers 3'5 a narrow hopper or receptacle 37 is located, as shown in Figs. 1. and 2, and at opposite sides of cach of the said hoppors 37 fixed guid-.strips 3S are attached in parallel order, and to the reatends of these xec'l guide-strips other hanging guides 4Q are connected by hinges 30, aS shown in Fig. l, and tllese added guides haxe normallya dovvnvvard and a rearvard ixuzzlix1n-V tion, the said gudes'beng supported at. their rear ends in their inclined position by engagement with stops or pins 41, secured 1n the walls of the hopper 37. The guldes on the respective hoppers are each arranged to engage a rake 42, having teeth 43 directed downwardly from its lower side, each rake being provided with a handle 44, which extends rearwardly, and the said rake-handles are operated throughthe medium of a connectingrod 45, the forward end of which is coupled, as shown at 46, to one of theground-wheels 13 of the machine. The `rear end of the connecting-rod is attached to a cross-bar47,which is provided with blocks 4S, and these blocks are held to slide in slots 49, made in the horizontal brace-bars 49", supported over the rear extension A ot' the frame by means of brackets 50, as shown in both Figs.'-l and 2, the

handles of both of the rakes being secured to this cross-barLso that the rakes move in unison, and as the ground-wheels of the machine rotate the rakes will be given areciprocating movement in the hoppers. `It will behunderstood that the cross-bar 47 may have a connection with both ground-wheels, if desired,

or that either or both of the groundwheels may be employed for driving the rakes, the connection vbeing made in any well-known manner. y

A spreader is employed in connection with the machine, and the said spreader is illustrated in side elevation in Fig. 4 and in plan View in Fig. 5. It is composed of a series of slats or strips 51 of steel or other spring material,placed one above the other, and the entire spreader is preferably somewhat V- shaped in -plan View, and the slats also lusually graduate in length from top to bottom,

the uppermost slat beingV the longest and the lowermost slat the shortest. The said slats at their forward ends 'are secured to a downwardly and rearwardly extending bar 51a, secured to the front of the frame and braced by a bar 52, which is connected with the other end of the front carrying-bar 51n and extends upwardly and rearwardly to an attachment to the rear portion of the frame at the center. This spreader is located between the two 'picker-cloths, and the sides of the spreader extend parallel with the picker-cloths near which they are located, andthe shape of the spreader-is such that it will have practically the form of the prowof a boat, so thatit will enterlike a plowinto thc midst of a single row and force thc branches apart part one way and partanother, pressingthe plants elastic- 'ally against the inner operative faces of the picker-cloths 23, whereby the cottonjmay be removed therefrom in a thorough manner.

As'the rakcs move forward they engage the ICO inclined ends -lO of the guides and are raised upward-and will travcl'ovcr the fixed guides 38, as shown in doti-ed lines in Fig. l, and at the end of their forward stroke the said rakes -Willdrop'over the forward ends of the fixed guides into the bottom of the hopper, as shown in Fig..2. On their return stroke the said rakes pass over-.the bottom of the hop- I pers in vsnch a manner as to remove the cotton therefrom, and at the endof thoback stroke the rakcs will pass under and raise,v

the pivotcd guides i0, and after the passage of the rakes these guides 'are returned by gravity to Atheir normal inclined position, the cotton having been raked `ont into receptacles 53, suitably hung on the rear portion of the 22 being fixed to the frame, while the rear hangers 18 are pivotally hung on the shafts 1 6. I provide springs 5l, adapted to hold the saidhangersS normally pressed toward cach row of plants, the horses, two of which are employed, walking in the furrow:l -at the sides of the row, and the said plants are pressed between the picker-cloths 23 at the forward end of the fra-me, where the. cloths are farthest apart, and are gradually compressed between the said cloths and the spreader until they emerge at the rear part of `the machine,where the space between the said cloths and spreader is reduced to a minimum. rlhe cloths or aprons 23, being in rapid movement, engage with and remove the cotton from the loolls of the plants and carry the same npward over the rollers or drnmsl7, at which point the cotton is removed from the cloths by the cleaning-rollers 3G and delivered intoA the hopper-s 31x The raliesI 42, playing in these hoppers, discharge `the cot-ton from the hoppers into the bags or receptacles placed to receive it. i

A machine constructed as above described is extremely simple, durable, and inexpenpercentage of cotton from the bollsthan any sive and will be found very effective in operation, since it is adapted to pick a greater other machine within the knowledge of. the

inventor, and the cottonA when picked will becoming damaged or soiled by contact with the earth, stones, cbc., which they may encounter in the field by means 0f the shoes 21.

.lt will be obvious from ille abovedescription, olf my inventimi that consid .rablc modilication maybcniadc in the constructionand arrangement ef the principal parts without ma terial departure fronfthe principles of the invention, and for this reason `l do not wish to be understood as limiting myself. to the prc.

cise form ofthe device herein shown and described.

llaving thus described my invention, I'

claiin as new and desire to secure by Letters VPatent I l. In a cotton picker or harvester, diverging picking-aprons, the space between them being widest at the top, and a spreader located between the aprons, having its sides tapered correspondinglyto the taper of the aprons in an upward direction, as and for the purpose specified.

2. .In a cotton-harvcster, picking-aprons divergin g upwardly from theirlowerportions, and aspreader located between said aprons,

having its sides inclined in substantially'thesame direction as the faces of the aprons between which the said spreader is located, as and for thepurpose specified.

3'. In a cotton picker or l'iarvcster, pickingaprons divergi ng from their lower portions in an upwardly direction, the said aprons converging laterally from the front toward the rear, and a spreader located between the aprons, the lateral faces whereof diverge from the front to the rca-1321s and for the purpose specified.

'-l. In a cotton-harvester, two opposite picking-aprons converging from the-front toward the rear, and a spreader located between the aprons, the lateralv faces whereof diverge from the front to the rear, the forward end IOO ing-aprons converging from the front toward the rear, and aspreader located between the aprons, the lateralv faces whereof diverge from the front to the rear, substantially as a pointed 4forward end and being adapted tognide cotton to the aprons, the rakes being operated from the ground-wheel of the aforesaid picker, as and forthe purpose specified.

7. In a cotton-harvester, two oppositelydivcrging picker-aprons, and a spreader 1ocated between the aprons, the side faces .whereof diverge in substantially thesam-e divpurpose specified.

S. In a cotton-harvester, two oppositely yarranged picking-aprons having their opposing faces inclined from the topdownward and inward, the said aprons laterally con verging from the front toward the rear, and

. a spreader located bet-ween'the aprons, substantially V-shapcd in cross-section and laterall7 diverging from the front to the rear of the maehine,-as and for the purpose specified.

9,. In a machine forpicking cotton, pickingaprons, roller-supports for the same located at the top and bottom of the frame of themachine at each side of the center, the space between the upper supports for-the aprons being greater than that between the lower supports, the said rollers being provided with teeth. and the aprons with openings to receive the said teeth, the lower sides of the aprons diverging 'from the rear toward the front,

,drive-shafts and gears, substantially as described, driven by the movement of the Inachine an'd arran ged for driving theroller-supports for the picking-aprons, and a spreader located between the aprons, consistingot` a series of members V-shaped'inplan view, the

diverging ends of the members being their rear ends, springs normali)T serving to hold the lower portion of the spreader and aprons in substantiallynear relation with each other, and dispensing devices arranged to receive the cotton from thesaid picking-aprons and,

deliver the cotton to the rear portion of the machine, as and for the purpose specified.

10. In va cotton-picker, the combination, with pickin g-aprons con vergi ng at their lower sides with respect to a vertical line drawn between themfthe said aprons being outwardly and forwardly flared in a lateral direction,

specified.V

tension-controlled supports for the aprons,

. the tension devices controlling the movement of the-picking aprons to and from one another during the operation 'of picking, and a spreader located between the aprons, having its 'sides tapering from the top downward and inward,substantially asshown and described.

11,. ln'a cotton picker -or harvester, pickeraprons extending fronrthe bottom to the top of the machine, being 4arranged to converge at their lower longitudinal portionsand .diverge at their upper longitudinal portions to and from a vertical line-drawn' lon,litudinally' between them, and a spreader located between the aprons, having its .sides tapered correspondingly to the taper of the aprons in an upward direction, the forward end of the spreaderl being pointed, producing a space between the forward portion of the spreader and the opposing faces of the aprons, the rear portion ofthe spreader at its-sides being quite -close to the sides of the aprons, as and for the purpose specified.

12. ln a cetton-harvester twov oppositelydiverging picker-aprons, the space between -them being widest at the top, a vspreader lo- 'said cotton berapidlyharvested without injury to the plants, as and for the purpose I DAVID s. mcAnnnicK.l

Witnesses:

SAML. C. HARVEY, H; W. ZENTZ.. 

